who were the caliphs?

[Asking]

were they like some kind of pope of islam ?

as pope = considered successor of peter
caliph = considered successor of muhammad

maybe it would be good for muslims to have a caliph again, some kind of authority who can say this is allowed, this is not.

 

[gilliam]

My understanding is that the caliph was more than a spiritual leader, like the Pope. He was also the head of State, like an emperor. Remember there is no separation of church and state in Islam.

 

[hawk]

Asking:

were they like some kind of pope of islam ?

as pope = considered successor of peter
caliph = considered successor of muhammad

maybe it would be good for muslims to have a caliph again, some kind of authority who can say this is allowed, this is not.

Maybe, maybe not, muslims will never agree on who the caliph should be. they couldnt decide 1300 years ago, they will never decide now.

 

[Bobby_A.Greene]

The caliphs were kinda like governors. Each Caliph was responsible for a certain territory after the Moslem conquest of northern Africa and southern Spain (The Koran or the Sword!).

 

[r.gonzales]

Asking:

were they like some kind of pope of islam ?

as pope = considered successor of peter
caliph = considered successor of muhammad

maybe it would be good for muslims to have a caliph again, some kind of authority who can say this is allowed, this is not.

caliph (ar. khaleefah) means successor. you’re correct in that they’re supposed to be successors to prophet muhammad. gilliam is correct in that they’re more than just a religious leader. he’s supposed to be the leader of the muslim nation as a whole.

however, the caliphate (ar. khilaafah) ended with the caliphate of alee bin abee taalib, prophet muhammad’s cousin, the fourth of the rightly guided caliphs (ar. al-khulafaa’ ar-raashidoon - with the first three being aboo bakr as-siddeeq, umar bin al-khattaab and uthmaan bin affaan (in that order)). some include the brief caliphate of alee’s son, hasan bin alee bin abee taalib in this as well as the caliphate of umar bin abdil-azeez, but what’s generally accepted is that it ended with the first four. this is due to prophet muhammad’s prediction that the caliphate after him would last 30 years and that it would be followed by kingships. the first muslim king was mu’aawiyah bin abee sufyaan, who ruled after hasan bin alee stepped down from his short stint as caliph, which was after the assassination of his father and attempted assassination of mu’aawiyyah.
Bobby A. Greene:

The caliphs were kinda like governors.

perhaps this was the case later on, but caliphs as i mentioned above, were supposed to be the leaders for the muslim nation as a whole. this is why they usually took the title of “ameer al-mu’mineen” or “commander of the believers”. the caliph would appoint ameers (chiefs/commanders), qaadees (judges), haakims (rulers/judges) or wazeers (ministers) to govern over certain territories throughout the muslim empire.

hawk:

they couldnt decide 1300 years ago…

hawk, please do eloborate.

 

[hawk]

r.gonzales:

hawk, please do eloborate.

Ali ibn Abi Talib (Arabic: علي بن أبي طالب) (c. 21st March 598 – 661) was an early Islamic leader. He is seen by the Sunni Muslims as the last of the Khulafa-e-Rashidun, the exemplary first four rightly guided caliphs. Shi’a Muslims see him as the first imam and the first rightful caliph. He was also Muhammad’s cousin, and, after marrying Fatima, his son-in-law as well.

…
basically after that, it is hard to see who is caliph and where, since by then the schism of shi’iism had taken place.

Even now, no matter how hard they may try, there is no way that Islam will ever have a caliph, the Sunnis will first have to deal with the shi’i, and the shi’i are awaiting the mehdi, so there will be no caliph until the last days, at least islamically.

From a Christian perspective, the whole world will turn to Christ, as Isa ibnu Allah, and follow Him, hence once again no caliph, except for God Himself

 

[Ray_Marshall]

There was a Caliphate in Constantinople/Istanbul until 1924 when it was dissolved by the Young Turks under Mustapha Kemal Ataturk.

Those Ottoman caliphs, however, did not have nearly the power as did the early “Rightly Guided” and later Abassid caliphs.